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‘Revenge’ stabbing: Florida man arrested after video shows him knifing shark for stealing his fish
A 26-year-old man was charged with aggravated animal cruelty after stabbing a shark in a video shared on Snapchat.
A man from Florida was arrested on Thursday after a video showing him repeatedly stabbing a shark went viral on Snapchat. The footage, posted late last month, led to Zane Garrett, 26, being charged with aggravated animal cruelty, reported the New York Post.
According to the report, the incident occurred on May 22 near a wreck site off the coast of Key West. The video, titled “Bud broke my rod,” showed Garrett knifing a bull shark in the head multiple times.
Garrett, who is listed as a captain on the website of Second Nature Charters, was identified and reported by an anonymous tipster. The person flagged the video to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, expressing concerns over public safety.
The same tipster told officials, “Yes, to weapons for the 9-11 inch filet knife, yes to violent behaviour for stabbing a shark repeatedly, yes to being concerned over them being dumb enough to post themselves committing a crime.”
Operating without a licence
Authorities discovered that Garrett did not possess the proper licence to operate as a boat captain and had previously been under investigation for misrepresenting himself.
The man who originally shared the video confirmed Garrett’s identity to officials. When shown the footage, Garrett admitted, “Yah, that’s me.”
He told investigators that stabbing sharks was a common tactic used by fishermen to scare off predators trying to steal their catch. However, he later acknowledged that he acted out of “revenge” because the shark had stolen his fish and had become a nuisance.
“I asked Mr. Garrett if he thought that the repeated blows would eventually kill the shark, to which he replied, ‘No. It takes a lot more to kill a shark than stabbing it in the head,’” the warrant stated.
Garrett also told officials that he had previously “done a lot more killing” of sharks, often using firearms, and had stabbed or killed them without bringing them onboard several times in the past.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission called the incident an “egregious” act that caused unnecessary harm to the animal.
Garrett is currently being held at the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Key West jail facility with his bond set at $10,000. His arraignment is scheduled for June 26.
